Developing grass roots writing resources: a novel approach to writing within the social work discipline |
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| Authors: | Christopher D Kilgore Courtney Cronley Beth Amey |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 211 S. Cooper Street, Arlington, TX 76019, USAchriskilgore@uta.edu;3. School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 211 S. Cooper Street, Arlington, TX 76019, USA;4. 2nd Chance Mental Health Center, LLC, 1541 SE Port St. Lucie Boulevard, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952, USA |
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| Abstract: | In this case study, we report on the development of a writing-specialist position, the ‘Writing Resource Coordinator (WRC)’, in a school of social work at a large state university in the southern USA. Such programs are facing increasing budgetary pressures at the same time as their growing enrollments strain available resources. Students who arrive under-prepared or un-acculturated to the discipline often suffer high writing-related anxiety, putting them at risk for low performance, or dropping out altogether. The WRC provides discipline-specific ‘grass roots’ writing assistance to the most at-risk students through a program aimed at both students and faculty, providing a two-pronged service strategy including: (a) individual consultations and (b) group-oriented seminars and workshops. We describe the implementation of this resource and offer recommendations for improving upon and adopting this approach in social science programs at comparable institutions. |
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| Keywords: | writing assistance social sciences pedagogy WID WAC |
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